Defense triggers Titans to lopsided win over Chiefs

Tuesday

Dec 4, 2012 at 12:40 AMDec 4, 2012 at 12:44 AM

EPG girls rout Dee-Mack

Erich Murphy

Monday’s Heart of Illinois Conference girls’ basketball tilt between host El Paso-Gridley and Dee-Mack was not really expected to be much of a contest. And it wasn’t. The Titans, ranked second in the AP in Class 2A, had a bit of trouble scoring in the early going but relied on its defense to find a rhythm and cruise to a 63-18 victory. “From the mental side, I was a little nervous about our first home game,” EPG head coach Kyle Bobbitt said. “The girls came out with jitters, (we took) a couple quick shots. Once we settled down we got in a groove. We relied on our defense to push us through.” Bobbitt was concerned enough with his team’s start that he burned a 30-second timeout less than two minutes into the game. EPG had built a 4-0 lead thanks to a Jenna Souhrada’s field goal and free throws from Chelsea Kessinger and Rebekah Ehresman. The lead reached 10-0 after Darien DeVary scored on a put-back. It was her third try and the fourth for the Titans in the sequence. The basket came with 4:29 to go in the first quarter. EPG did not score again until Codee Schlipf connected inside for a 12-2 lead with 12 seconds to go. What was making life easier despite the slow scoring start was the defense that garnered its first turnover immediately after the opening tip when Schlipf pilfered the ball at center court. She missed the layup that Souhrada put back for the first score seven seconds into the game. What helped was the continual pressure employed by the Titans. Dee-Mack turned the ball over 35 times on the night. “Our focus was to pressure the ball, not make it easy on them. We wanted to contest all shots, force the press rotation,” Bobbitt said. The heat was turned up as El Paso-Gridley scored the first 15 points of the second period in less than four minutes. The Titans scored 11 points over the final three minutes to take a 38-4 lead into the break. Dee-Mack’s points came on a first-quarter basket from Nicki Welch and second-quarter free throws from Emma Sauder and Kenzie Rhodes. Bobbitt was also able to utilize his bench in different rotations that allowed for various combinations on the floor. “We’re pretty versatile with our personnel,” Bobbitt said. “This is a game to get those younger kids an opportunity and gain some confidence,” he added. “They’re just as important as the starting five. We’re going to need them at some big point.” Using everyone likely contributed to just nine points in the third quarter for the Titans. The Chiefs were also able to double their first-half scoring effort in just one period, scoring eight points in the third. Schlipf finished the night with 22 points and 6 rebounds for the Titans (6-0, 3-0). Kessinger added 13 points and Ehresman checked in with 11. Souhrada had 7 points while DeVary and Mattie Buchanan each scored 4 points and Michelle Bigger had 2. Welch had 9 points for Dee-Mack.

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